Brazilian Journal of Biological Sciences, 2016, v. 3, no. 5, p. 83-96. ISSN 2358-2731 http://dx.doi.org/10.21472/bjbs.030507 Relative importance of medicinal plants in the Semi-Arid Region of Paraíba: a case study in the Municipality of Congo (Paraíba, Northeast Brazil) André dos Santos Souza¹, Adriana Paula Braz de Souza² and Reinaldo Farias Paiva de Lucena³ ¹Discente de Doutorado do Programa de Pós Graduação em Botânica. Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco. Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n. Dois Irmãos. Recife- PE, Brazil. (CEP 52127-900). ²Docente da Faculdade Maurício de Nassau. Campina Grande. Rua Prefeito Antônio Coutinho, s/n. Estação Velha. Campina Grande-PB. Brazil. (CEP 58414-285). ³Docente do Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia. Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza. Universidade Federal da Paraíba. Campus I. João Pessoa-PB. Brazil. (CEP 58051-900). Email: [email protected]. Abstract. The study aimed to identify the ethnospecies used as phytotherapics in the treatment of diseases in the rural community of Received Santa Rita, municipality of Congo (Paraíba state, Northeast Brazil). December 27, 2016 We interviewed 93 informants (53 women and 40 men). The interviewees cited 37 vernacular names of plants, distributed in 38 Accepted December 30, 2016 species. Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Bignoniaceae and Anacardiaceae were the most representative families. According to the calculation Released of the species’ relative importance, Syderoxylon obtusifolium, June 30, 2016 Ximenia americana, Myracodruon urundeuva, Cnidoscolus quercifolius, Ziziphus joazeiro and Trabebuia sp. lead the ranking of Open Acess Full Text Article the species cited, with RI > 1. These species are used to treat fairly common diseases among the community members, such as infections and pains in general. Data evidenced the current use of the most versatile species, as well as other less cited ones. Thus it is necessary to conduct more studies and produce more management plans to reduce the impact on them, especially on M. urundeuva. Keywords: Caatinga; Ethnobotany; Biodiversity conservation. ORCID 0000-0001-8085-1881 André dos Santos Souza 0000-0002-7938-7695 Adriana Paula Braz de Souza 0000-0003-4775-7775 Reinaldo Farias Paiva Lucena ISSN 2358-2731/BJBS-2016-0031/3/5/7/83 Braz. J. Biol. Sci. http://revista.rebibio.net 84 Souza et al. Introduction (Bittencourt et al., 2002). In other situations there have been attempts to dialogue among According to Corrêa Junior (1991), the representatives of popular knowledge human society has a lot of information and scientific knowledge. This may help about the environment where it lives, which explain why Brazil, with its mega plant allows the society to exchange information diversity and numerous academic papers directly with the environment, satiating its about medicinal plants, is incipient in the survival needs. In this heritage is inserted production of phytotherapic medicines the knowledge concerning the plants with (Newall et al., 2002). Therefore, which this society is in contact. Thus, the ethnobotanical studies, and the various search and the use of plants with disciplines related to them, can serve as a therapeutic properties is an activity that way to elaborate projects to develop passes from generation to generation, phytotherapic medicines for the described in order to preserve this ancient communities involved, as well as the tradition, attested in various treaties of population in general, based on the people’s phytotherapy (Corrêa Junior, 1991). ethnobiological knowledge (Martin, 1995). Plants are used as the only Ethnobotanical studies, based on therapeutic resource by a large part of the quantitative tests, have developed over time Brazilian population, and by more than two a tool for determining the relative thirds of the world population; and the main importance of medicinal species (Bennett factors that influence the continuity of this and Prance, 2000). The aim of this method medicinal practice are the population’s low is to demonstrate the versatility of species; quality of living, and the high cost of as reference it uses the quantity of medicines (Argenta et al., 2011). Thus, therapeutic indications a plant has, and the users of plants from all over the world number of body systems attributed to the retain the use of phytotherapics, making species (Bennett and Prance, 2000). valid some therapeutic information that has This research aimed to identify the been accumulated for centuries (Newall et ethnospecies used as phytotherapic al., 2002). medicines in the rural community of Santa The This knowledge of traditional Rita, in the municipality of Congo, Paraíba communities involves relations of state, and therefore determine the relative knowledge exchange among people and importance of each species. their understanding about the environment in which they live, and is permeated by Materials and methods social and cultural factors (Ferreira et al., 2012). The use of plant species for The regional and local context of therapeutic purposes has been perpetuated work throughout the history of human civilization The Municipality of Congo is through to the present day, and it is a located in the Borborema Mesoregion and common practice for much of the world Cariri Ocidental Microregion, in the Semi- population, often as the only resource for Arid Region of Paraíba State, Northeast the treatment of diseases in certain Brazil (Figure 1). It is at an altitude of communities and ethnic groups. Thus, the 480 m, located at the geographic traditional communities provide important coordinates 7° 47’ 41” S and information about different ways of 36° 39’ 42” W, about 212 km away from handling plant species in their daily lives the state capital, João Pessoa. It borders on (Pereira et al., 2011). Serra Branca to the North (Paraíba), The requirements in building Coxixola and Caraúbas to the East scientifically accepted knowledge about (Paraíba), Camalaú and Sumé to the West medicinal plants, both in the context of (Paraíba) and the State of Pernambuco to discovery and validation as in the the South. It has a total population of 4,692 application context has sometimes come inhabitants (1,748 in the rural area and into conflict with popular knowledge 2,944 in the urban area), and a land area of Braz. J. Biol. Sci., 2016, v. 3, no. 5, p. 83-96. Relative importance of medicinal plants in the Semi-Arid Region of Paraíba 85 333,469 km², with a population density of 431.8 mm. The Santa Rita Community, 14.06 inhabitants/km² (IBGE, 2012). chosen for this study, is approximately 8 The vegetation is composed mainly km away from the urban center. The local of caatinga with stretches of deciduous economy is mainly based on subsistence forest. The climate is tropical semi-arid agriculture, especially corn and bean crops. (Köppen: Aw), with summer rains. The Goat and sheep breeding is the rainy season begins in November and ends community’s main livestock activity; and in April, and the average annual rainfall is there is also cattle breeding. Figure 1. Geographical location of the municipality of Congo, Paraíba state, Northeast Brazil. Ethnobotanical inventory (Resolution No. 196/96). This study was This research was carried out from approved by the Committee of Ethics in March 2011 to July 2012. Semi-structured Research with Human Beings (CEP) of the interviews were used to collect data Lauro Wanderley Hospital from the Federal (Albuquerque et al., 2010), and the University of Paraíba, registered in protocol informants were householders. We visited CEP/HULW No. 297/11. all the residences in the community studied, The data collected refer only to explaining the study purpose. When the those described by informants who claimed householders were identified, they were to know the species used in traditional invited to be part of the survey. medicine and its applications. We The informants, who agreed to interviewed 93 informants, divided into 53 participate, signed the Free and Transparent women (19-76 years old) and 40 men (22- Consent form that is required by the 87 years old). The interview sought National Health Council, through the information about the local uses of Committee of Ethics in Research medicinal plants and their classification Braz. J. Biol. Sci., 2016, v. 3, no. 5, p. 83-96. 86 Souza et al. taking into consideration the plant part due to the presence of known woody used, citations regarding preparation, body species in these families, used in traditional systems and disease citations through medicine in the semi-arid region of Brazil. specific questions. Lamiaceae and Verbenaceae have In order not to cause interference or been shown in many studies as two of the influence others, the interviews were largest families (Lebsch and Acra, 2002; conducted individually and at different Oliveira et al., 2013.). However, in this times for each informant, obtaining study we did not identify any corresponding knowledge from each informant without species to these families. This absence can any external influence during the interview be explained by the fact that most species of (Phillips and Gentry, 1993). these families, regarding their size, are like herbaceous, which were not included in this Calculation of relative survey, which registered only the use and importance (RI) knowledge of native species from Caatinga The relative importance (RI) of with arboreal size. each species was calculated according to According to Bennett and Prance the proposal of Bennett and Prance (2000), (2000), Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Poaceae, using the formula RI = NBS + NP, where: Fabaceae and Malvaceae are the most RI = relative importance, NBS = number of predominant families on the list of exotic body systems, and NP = number of medicinal plants, and we have probably not pharmacological properties. Using this registered these families because this study index, the utility of plants reflects has prioritized only native species. Trotter versatility of use, e.g., a greater number of and Logan (1986) state that species rich in therapeutic indications or body systems to essential oil such as those of the Lamiaceae which it belongs (Silva et al., 2014).